Florida baseball kept the winning streak going on Friday night against the Missouri Tigers on the road with a 13-1 victory. [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] got the start for the Gators and looked great while the offense had a field day against the Tigers’ pitching.
However, Florida began with a futile first frame, while Mizzou got on the board bottom half on a solo home run to the second batter that Sproat saw. Besides that blemish, the sophomore sent the rest of the Tigers down for an otherwise clean inning.
The Gators had an immediate answer, scoring a pair in the top of the second on a two-run home run by [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] that scored T[autotag]y Evans[/autotag], who reached on a one-out double. Florida’s right-handed fireballer sent Missouri down in order in the bottom half with a foul out, strikeout and a popup.
The power surge continued in the third when [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] cranked a two-run dinger that scored [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag], who reached on a single to lead things off. [autotag]Kendrick Calilao[/autotag] drew a two-out walk but the inning ended in a fizzle. Sproat retired the side in 1-2-3 fashion with a pair of Ks followed by an easy groundout to first.
[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] led off the fourth inning hit parade with a line-drive single up middle, followed by a [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] walk and a bunt base-hit by [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] of all hitters. Riopelle plated a pair on an at-em ball right off the second baseman that ricocheted into the outfield for an error.
But the butterfingers did not stop there as Rivera drove in another Gator on a high bouncer that resulted in a throwing error by the third baseman playing shallow to prevent the run. Up by a 7-1 score, the Gators went down on a K and a groundout to end the rally.
Sproat retired the Tigers in order for the third-straight inning in the fourth, continuing his one-hit effort, while the Gators tacked on five more runs in the top of the fifth thanks in part to a two-run shot off the bat of [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] to make it a 12-1 game.
Florida’s starter continued to deal in the bottom of the frame, once again stymying Mizzou’s offense despite giving a leadoff walk, using a double play and a strikeout to emerge unscathed from the frame. [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] tacked another run on the board with a solo shot in the top of the sixth to keep the rout rolling, making it a 13-1 score.
Nothing really notable happened subsequently and the game ended with that final score. Sproat made it through 6 2/3 innings before giving way to Anthony Ursitti, who spun 2 1/3 innings of no-hit (one walk) ball to close things out.
The Gators seized their sixth-straight win and a crucial opening road game against an SEC opponent. They will return to the field Saturday at 3 p.m. EDT to face the Tigers in Game 2.
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